Southern IPM blog posts

Funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The Southern Region IPM Center is located at North Carolina State University, 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 110, Raleigh, NC 27606, and is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

APHIS has established two quarantine areas in Texas for the Mexican fruit fly. The first, effective April 22, affects the Rio Hondo area of Cameron and Willacy counties in Texas, and the second, effective April 25, affects the Encantada area of Cameron County. APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from these areas.

On April 20, one mated female was confirmed in the Rio Honda area of Texas. On April 22, one Mexfly larva was detected and subsequently confirmed. APHIS, in cooperation with Texas Department of Agriculture, is responding to the confirmed detections with the establishment of a new quarantine area, which encompasses approximately 73 square miles of Cameron and Willacy counties.

On April 25, one Mexfly larva was detected and subsequently confirmed in Encantada, Texas. The quarantine area encompasses approximately 54 square miles of Cameron County.

APHIS is working with TDA to respond to these detections following program surveys and treatment protocols. These actions are necessary to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States.

The establishment of these quarantine areas is reflected on the following designated website, which contains a description of all of the current federal fruit fly quarantine areas: